Gas range



June 1, 1965 Original Filed Feb. 3, 1960 FIG. I

C.M.MAYER ETAL GAS RANGE Inn-mu 3 Sheets-Sheet l I//IO gVVENTURS CHARLE M.MAYER ERWIN c. DALENBERG b- FREDERICK s. CONSTANOE ATTTIUQQJS June 1, 1965 Original Filed Feb. a, 1960 FIG. 3 75\ 74 /66 \i i J 70 l 1 70-' E II ./83 I 62-" i i FIG. 5

GAS RANGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS CHARLES M. MAYER, ERWIN C. DALENBERG 8| FREDERICK QCWSTANCE United States Patent This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 6,428 filed on February 3, 1960, now Patent No. 3,130,719, dated April 28, 1964.

This invention relates to gas ranges and has for a primary object the provision of such a range in which the oven is elevated above the surface burner assembly for general eye level location in the unit as installed.

Another object is to provide such a range having passages for convection currents so placed and directed as to afford a predetermined and advantageous circulation of air through the unit while operating, with this system and the oven proper both being vented or exhausting at the front so the range can, if desired, by fully or partially surrounded by cabinet structure as for example in a kitchen cabinet wall without requiring special vents and the like.

In side profile, the new range is of general L-shape, with the surface burner section constituting the base thereof, and the range may be installed on a separately provided base cabinet of any desired design or hung on the kitchen wall at an elevation to place the surface burner assembly in each case approximately at waist height. The upstanding section of the range, in which the oven is located, is necessarily quite deep and the forwardly projecting portion of the base section which is normally exposed to form an always accessible cooking top area 13 of a depth which conveniently accommodates one row of surface burners. The frontal width of the unit thus determines the number of surface burners which can be provided in such area, and if the range is wide enough, the usual four burners can readily be disposed therein extending along the front in a single row.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide the oven of such range with an improved door of the type incorporating window means for inspection of the oven interior with the door closed. One of the features of this door concerns, in the preferred range structure,

the elimination of condensation which would tend to obscure the window means, and another feature greatly failitates cleaning of the window means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the new range, showing in phantom lines the open condition of the burner drawer thereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken approximately on the line 2-2 in FIG. 4, but with the burner drawer closed;

PEG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

il dddl "ice FIG. 5 is a fragmented, end elevation of the oven do r; and

FIG. 6 is a broken top plan view of the door at its upper pivotal connection, with the complemental sections of the door shown separated.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the range fully illustrated in FIG. 1 will be seen to comprise a horizontal base section 1 in which there is a burner drawer designated generally by reference numeral 2, the full lines showing the drawer closed and the open position thereof being indicated by the phantom outline. Extending upwardly from this base section, and unitary with the same, there is an oven section 3 which is, at the plane of attachment to the base section, of such area and disposition as to cover somewhat more than half of the base section longitudinally at the rear of the same.

The outer two side walls 4 and the rear wall 6 of such oven section are coplanar with the corresponding side walls 7 and rear wall 9 of the base section, and the former, together with the top wall 10, constitute an outer casing or enclosure which is, to this point, open at the front and also at the bottom. The front is substantially completely closed by structural components to be de scribed, but the bottom openmg indicated at 11 in FIG. 2 remains unobstructed to provide full communication between the base and oven sections where the two are attached about their corresponding sides by securing together inturned terminal and abutted flanges thereof in any suitable manner.

There is a partition or wall as shown at 12 spaced inwardly a short distance from each side wall 4 of the outer casing, with the former extending to the outer top wall ill, but being spaced at their lower edges 14 above the bottom flange of such side walls. A rear inner wall 1'7 is provided in this spaced relation over the major area of the back 6 of the outer casing. There is an intermediate transverse partition to define therewith a vertically extending chamber adapted to receive the various controls provided for the oven. The upper edge of this partition is spaced from the outer top wall it while its lower edge is elevated considerably above the bottom of the oven section, and an inner top panel 2b in a horizontal plane coincident with the upper edge of such intermediate partition closes of the area bounded by such edge, the inner rear wall 17, and the opposed side wall 12, with the latter above such panel being slotted for communication between the space at this side defined by the outer and inner walls 4 and 12 respectively and the space between the outer top ltland the panel 29; it will also be clear that the latter space is in communication with theupper end of the control chamber at the other side of the unit.

A plate 24 extends from one side to the other and is formed at the front by a strip 25 of the cross-sectional shape shown clearly in FIG. 2, from which it will be seen that the strip 25 extends upwardly at a slight inward angle and then forwardly and upwardly. The lower assembly supports an oven bottom having downwardly converging front and rear walls 26 and 27 and vertical side walls 28, and an oven liner Ed is attached to and in turn supported on the upper peripheral flange of such bottom piece. This liner provides oven side walls 3'1 having glides 33 for rack support formed therein and a back 34. An oven top 35 is attached about the upper edge of the liner 3t and it will be seen that this top is of substantially the same size and shape as the oven bottom piece, relatively inverted in the assembly, whereby fabrication of the oven is ob viously greatly facilitated. As indicated schematically in FIG. 2, an upper or broil gas burner 36 is disposed in the top portion of the oven and a lower or bake burner 37 in the bottom portion, these burners and surfaces. An angle strip ell secured to the upper flange 42 of the previously described strip 25 forms cooperably therewith a forwardly projecting bottom ledge, and a trim strip 43 of T-shaped cross-section extends across the top of the frame there to provide a similar ledge.

With particular reference to FIG. 1, it will be seen that there is an inwardly curved piece 44 extending from the left wall horizontally across the top of the oven.

' A narrow perforated strip 45 is secured along the upper edge of such piece 44 and a trim member which extends acrossthe entire top of the oven section 3 closes the relatively small remaining space between the top fill of the outer casing and the upper edge of the strip 45.

A fairly long horizontal slot 47 (FIG. 2) is formed in the curved piece 44, and a due 43 leads from a central opening 4-9 in the oven top 35 to such piece at this slot, whereby the oven is vent-ed through the latter. An elongated flue deflector Sfi extends across the curved piece 44 spaced in front of the slot 57 to direct the gases and vapors issuing from the oven and such vent connection upwardly as indicated by the arrow.

Air for combustion at the oven burners is supplied through the lower portion of the oven section 3 of the range and the opening 51 in the oven'bottom, and a heat shield 52 is suspended in such bottom opening to extend beneath the bake burner 37. Such shield is supported at its ends and of reduced transverse extent with respect to the opening in the oven bottom to leave air passages at the front and rear of the same. The space within the inner casing and around the various component parts of the oven is filled with a suitable insulating material, not shown, such as glass wool, including the forward spaces between the front walls of the oven top and bottom and the outer members respectively opposed thereto, so that the entire outer periphery of the oven assembly 4:- tent as shown at 61 (FIG. 1), whereby there is an appreciable separation between the same and the top of the burner drawer 2 when the latter is closed.

The oven is provided with a door designated generally by reference numeral 62 of special construction, the same comprising separately formed inner and outer sections. Such outer door section comprises a relatively thin hollow rectangular frame 63 supporting therein a glass pane This door section is pivoted at the left front of the oven frame to upper and lower tabs 6% and 67 which carry vertical pivot pins 53 and 69, the latter projecting into the door frame at the top and bottom left corners of the same and through reinforcements provided therein. A trim strip ill extends around the outer edge of the door frame 63.

The inner door section comprises a similar hollow frame 71 and glass pane 72, and this section is independently hinged on the same pivot pins as and es, the assembly being most readily apparent from the enlarged view in FIG. 3 of the top connection. It will here be seen that the inner door frame '71 carries a stud '73 projecting downwardly from the inside of the top of the frame, adjacent the left edge, and a general Z-shaped strap '74 pivoted on said stud extends forwardly through a slot in the front side of the frame and about the adjacent end with its outer end 75 offset upwardly and fixed on the is thus insulated. At the front top, the space between the actual front of the oven section and the forward edge of the inner top panel 29 is bridged by a closure strip 53.

The oven is conventionally provided with a clock 54- housed in the top right corner, with appropriate trim 55 therearound, and other rotary controls 56 shown in simplified fashion in FIG. 1. For purposes of the pres ent invention, the controls being of suitable available type for regulation of the oven operation in usual manner, it is significant only to note that these elements extend vertically along the right side of the oven section of the range and are accordingly housed in the vertical side control chamber.

Across the lower front portion of the oven section 3, there is a finish plate 57 extending upwardly from the base section 1 of the range at a slight rearward angle, then forwardly'over the portion 58 thereof to a reversely bent horizontal upper edge section 59 approximately at the level of the forwardly projecting ledge formed by the members 41 and 42 at the bottom of the oven front frame. As will be evident from FIG. 2, section 59 of this piece is spaced from such inner ledge and forms therewith an elongated port as over the width of the oven, whereby air can flow upwardly through the lower portion of the oven section, through the lower forward fiue which is in effect thus defined by the pieces 25 and 57, and then out this elongated port. It will be noted that the bottom edge of the lower front piece 57, which spans the base section It is upwardly offset over its major expin es above the top of the outer door frame 63. This assembly is repeated at the bottom of the inner door frame '71 by the further stud 76 and link 77, cooperating with the bottom pin 69, and it will thus be seen that the two door sections are independently hinged and normally in laterally spaced apart relation.

A handle till is provided at the right side of the outer door frame, and in order that the two door sections may move in unison, they are provided along their vertical portions at the right respectively with overlapping flanges 81 and 82. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5,the door frames 63 and 71 are held together by means of a U-shaped fastener 83 the legs of which extend through corresponding holes formed in the overlapped flange sections between the two door sections and approximately midway of the height thereof. This fastener will normally be in place as shown, and fitted snugly through the registered holes. By removing the fastener, however, it is possible to separate the door sections, as illustrated in FIG. 6, so that the inner surfaces of the two panes are exposed for easy cleaning.

Moreover, it will be seen that the space between the two door sections is approximately in register with the port as in the horizontal projection across the bottom of the oven frame through which air proceeds from the interior of the oven section 3, and there is consequently a flow of warmed air. upwardly through the door effective to reduce the tendency for condensation on the inner surfaces. It will be noted in FIG. 6 that the front frame 63 has a left side flange 84 which overlaps the rear frame 71 whereby the vertical sides of the door assembly are closed and all flow of air .therethrough discharges at the top.

With regard to the burner drawer 2, the same comprises side walls 35 and 86 carrying rollers which ride in channels secured to the inner side walls of the base section 1. The drawer is closed at the front by a panel g3 and has a bottom 94 in which a fairly large opening 95 is provided. A channel brace 96 bridges the tops of the side walls and 36 toward the rear of the same, and two spacer channels 7 and 98 are secured to the bottom of the drawer extending thereacross, with one in front of the opening and the other to the rear of the same. A first gas burner W has its head mounting flange 1% removably secured to the front spacer 9'7 in the left front corner of the drawer, this burner having a long Venturi tube 101 extending to the rear and releasably supported in a spring bracket 102 attached to the rear transverse spacer 98. To the right and inwardly with respect to such first burner 99, there is a second burner 103 of similar construction having its mounting flange 164 secured to the rear bottom spacer 98 and its Venturi tube 105 releasably held in a downwardly open spring bracket 106 secured to the underside of the rear transverse brace 36 of the drawer. A third burner itl'i is mounted similarly as such second burner, at the other side of the center of the drawer, and a fourth burner 108 is located and mounted correspondingly as the first burner in the front right corner of the drawer, the arrangement being symmetrical about the longitudinal (fore and aft) centerline of the drawer.

A gas supply manifold Hi9 extends along the back of the base section of the range, such manifold being positioned between the sides of the drawer at an elevation for passage therebeneath of the inner ends of the rear burners 163 and H57 when the drawer is closed to the position illustrated in FIG. 2. This manifold receives gas from a tube leading to the external gas connection of the range, not shown, through a control valve supported centrally on the bottom 112 of the base section 1. Adjacent the left end of the manifold, there is a take-off 115 therefrom to a conventional rotary flowregulating valve 116 for supply of the gas from the manifold through a tube which extends slidably through a sleeve in the ported end 119 of the Venturi of the first burner 99. The valve has a long tube secured to its stem and extending forwardly approximately to the front of the side walls of the base section. At such end, the tube is connected with a square shaft 122 continuing forward to a suitable knob 123 mounted on the front 93 of the drawer.

Gas is supplied to the second burner 1&3 in the same manner with this burner controlled by a like front control knob 129. The flow control assembly for the third burner 107 is the same as that for the second burner, while the supply to the fourth burner 108 is accomplished correspondingly as the first burner, so that further detailed description thereof is not necessary. The several control shafts or rods for such rotary control of the burner valves telescope within their respective tubes when the drawer is moved inwardly from the open position, and the spuds or gas supply tubes for the burners enter the Venturis of the same, such Venturi sections being thus considerably elongated to accommodate the penetration of the tubes, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Each pair of burners to one side of center is served by a common pilot line. forwardly to the region of the rear bottom spacer 98 (without fastening thereto) and, when the drawer is in its full open condition, a flame tube 132 mounted on a drawer bracket 133 is positioned with its supply opening over the pilot flame. This tube 132 provides ignition of both first and second burners 9 and 193, and it will be understood that the pilot arrangement for the third and fourth burners is a mirror assembly. The two flame tubes of course move with the drawer, while the pilot lines are stationary and hence of a length to accommodate the inward movement of the drawer to the closed position.

Flanges extending along and slightly offset downwardly from the top edges of the drawer sides 35 and 86, the drawer front 93, and the rear brace 96, together form a peripheral seat for a removable cover plate 135 for the drawer having openings at the burner areas. A drip pan 136 is suspended in each such opening and removable grates 137 are positioned therein for support of pans and the like over the burners in the usual manner. It will now be seen that the relief 61 in the lower front edge of the Vertical wall 25 of the oven section 3, at the front, accommodates passage of the grates.

The opening 95 in the bottom of the drawer admits secondary air for the surface burners and also for the oven section when the drawer is open, this being the only condition in which the surface burners can be operative. When the drawer is closed, on the other hand, air is ad- One pilot line thus extends mitted to the oven through the clearance provided between the drawer top and the lower front edge 61 of the oven section and partially through the exposed surface burner openings. The venting of the oven and the circulation of air through the door of the same have already been discussed, and air also proceeds by convection when the oven is operative upwardly along the left side of the oven section 3 through the space defined by the outer and inner walls at such side. This air passes into the space at the top between the outer top 10 of the casing and the inner top 259, and air from the lower portion of the oven section will also flow upwardly to this last space through the vertical side chamber in which the oven controls are located. Air thus collected within the top flows forwardly and is discharged through the perforated strip 45, the arrows in the several figures showing such convection currents. Air may also flow upwardly through the rear double wall for exhaust in the same manner. This circulation of air is beneficial in dissipating heat about the periphery of the oven section 3, and it has been found that the flow through the control chamber is particularly advantageous by reason of its cooling effect on the components mounted therein. The peripheral cooling enhances enclosure of the range with cabinet structure, generally made of wood, while the reduction in the temperature to which the oven controls are heated is suflicient to keep the manual elements there of from becoming uncomfortably hot to the touch. Such cooling of the controls, moreover, benefits operation and the service life of the same.

As indicated at the outset, this range can be mounted by a base cabinet of any appropriate design, with the mounting placing the burner drawer approximately at waist height and the oven consequently generally at eye level. In FIG. 2, there is shown a hanger for suspension of the range on the kitchen wall, the back of the oven section near the top being provided with a recess let in which a vertical pin 161 securely fastened interiorly at the rear of the range projects at its lower end. A complemental bracket 162 is suitably fastened to the kitchen wall and has an apertured flange 163 which projects into the recess to support the range at the shoulder provided by the top thereof, as illustrated, with the pin 161 passed through the bracket aperture to lock the range in place. At least one other such hanger mounting will of course be provided, and preferably a sealing strip 164% is disposed between the wall and the range above the line of the brackets.

We claim:

1. In combination with a cooking oven, 2. door therefor comprising separately formed inner and outer sections of substantially the same size and shape, said inner and outer sections being normally disposed with their main body portions in laterally spaced opposition in parallel planes, latch means operative between corresponding first sides of said sections for releasably holding the same in such normal disposition thereof, first and second hinge means respectively at corresponding second sides of said sections opposite said first sides of the same, said first and second hinge means cooperating to maintain said second sides of the sections at the lateral spacing in the normal disposition of the sections, the first and second hinge means mounting the sections for both swinging movement together in the normal latched condition and for relative movement when released for angular separation of the sections, an inner transparent panel within the main body portion of the inner section of the door, and an outer transparent panel within the main body portion of the outer door section, the inner and outer transparent sections being of substantially the same size and shape and in spaced register in the normal condition of the door for viewing through the same.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein flanges of the door sections close the normal space therebetween along the vertical sides of the door, with the top and bottom unobstructed for circulation of air through the door. I

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,717,637 6/29 Vastine 126'20O Q 0 2,438,035 3/48 Buhman et a1. 126 193 3,024,074 3/62 Jacobs et al. l26l93 FOREIGN PATENTS 451,702 8/36 Great Britain.

TAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH W. SPRAGUE, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A COOKING OVEN, A DOOR THEREFOR COMPRISING SEPARATELY FORMED INNER AND OUTER SECTIONS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE, SAID INNER AND OUTER SECTIONS BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED WITH THEIR MAIN BODY PORTIONS IN LATERALLY SPACED OPPOSITION IN PARALLEL PLANES, LATCH MEANS OPERATIVE BETWEEN CORRESPONDING FIRST SIDES OF SAID SECTIONS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING THE SAME IN SUCH NORMAL DISPOSITION THEREOF, FIRST AND SECOND HINGE MEANS RESPECTIVELY AT CORRESPONDING SECOND SIDES OF SAID SECTIONS OPPOSITE SAID FIRST SIDES OF THE SAME, SAID FIRST AND SECOND HINGE MEANS COOPERATING TO MAINTAIN SAID SECOND SIDES OF THE SECTIONS AT THE LATERAL SPACING IN THE NORMAL DISPOSITION OF THE SECTIONS, THE FIRST AND SECOND HINGE MEANS MOUNTING THE SECTIONS FOR BOTH SWINGING MOVEMENT TOGETHER IN THE NORMAL LATCHED CONDITION AND FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WHEN RELEASED FOR ANGULAR SEPARATION OF THE SECTIONS, AN INNER TRANSPARENT PANEL WITHIN THE MAIN BODY PORTION OF THE INNER SECTION OF THE DOOR, AND AN OUTER TRANSPARENT PANEL WITHIN THE MAIN BODY PORTION OF THE OUTER DOOR SECTION, THE INNER AND OUTER TRANSPARENT SECTIONS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE AND IN SPACED REGISTER IN THE NORMAL CONDITION OF THE DOOR FOR VIEWING THROUGH THE SAME. 